During the meeting, Poroshenko dwelt on the progress in talks on release of Ukrainian hostages.

The president stressed that the Ukrainian side sees this item of the Minsk accords as one of the top priorities. Ukraine insists on the unconditional release of all the hostages held both in the occupied territory and the Russian Federation.

Poroshenko stressed he has raised this issue at all international meetings.

He noted the importance of confirmation of information about 45 Ukrainian POWs.

"This means we will struggle for their soonest release. This will allow us to triple our efforts to have positive news as soon as possible," the president remarked.

Poroshenko emphasized that the release of Ukrainian hostages depends directly on the Russian Federation which is to exert pressure on militants so that they implement this key point of the Minsk agreements.

According to him, 3,080 hostages have already been found and freed since the beginning of the war, while 107 Ukrainian civilians and military are still in captivity.

The head of state said that on Aug. 19, in Berlin, Ukraine's Presidential Administration Deputy Head Kostiantyn Yelisieiev will hand over lists with the names of 45 hostages to the respective offices of the French president and the German chancellor so that the European capitals are aware of every captive Ukrainian and demand their soonest release along with Ukraine.

In turn, Ukraine's Security Service Head Vasyl Hrytsak said that the SBU performs all the tasks intended to reach compromise and free Ukrainian hostages.

"We are not imitating the process or doing it for the sake of our image. Every day, we are struggling for each guy. Unless all 107 captives are released, we won't stop," Hrytsak noted.

Ukraine's representative in the Minsk group, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Herashchenko stressed the hostage release will be one one of the key issues during the upcoming Aug. 25 and Sept. 7 meetings in Minsk.

"We expect to receive concrete proposals in terms of the release of the 45 POWs," she said.

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